Typically, a roadway course will have a slope or a crown extending downwards from the center of the road towards the sides of the road. In the field of roadway construction, the slope of a roadway course perpendicular to the side of the road is of great importance as it allows water, debris, and other hindrances to roadway traffic to exit the road. Too much slope, however, can also pose a roadway hazard. Such hazards are amplified when the subject roadway receives heavy and/or fast traffic such as a United States Interstate Highway. As a result, Engineers have determined very precise slope mandates which determine best practice in roadway design and installation. Both construction codes and paving contracts include these roadway inclination design mandates and it is incumbent upon contractors to insure that their roads meet the precise specified slopes. Likewise, it is incumbent upon roadway owners, such as states and local governments, to insure that they are receiving the precision engineered, sloped roadways for which they are paying.
Typically, slope has been measured and checked using traditional surveying methods. These methods include using several humans to hold and position levels and poles and then to calculate the slope based on observed readings. These methods are labor intensive and take time to perform calculations respective of the slope. Other methods include using imprecise inclinometers mounted on the rear of a roadway paving or screeding machines to capture a reading as the road is constructed.
The present invention provides a method and device for measuring the slope of the roadway with a high degree of precision. The device and method also reduces requisite labor to a single human and eliminates the need for complex calculations. The device is thus an apparatus which may easily be operated and maneuvered by a single person whereby the reading of the slope to a high degree of precision is easily accomplished.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device that may be easily transported from jobsite to jobsite. It is still a further object of the present invention to optionally, and alternatively, provide a device that will measure a full lane of traffic but also measure a smaller portion of a lane.
To this end, the present invention contemplates a digital inclinometer that precisely measures slope across a roadway with an error of less than 2.0 arcminutes. This digital inclinometer is fixed in a lightweight, rigid frame designed to span at least the width of a lane of traffic. The frame can be easily moved by a single person and can be disassembled and transported. It may also be, optionally and alternatively, shortened as necessary to span smaller distances.